Simerjit’s Dream Getaway to Greece and Turkey: A Thrillophilia Review
With a hot cup of black coffee in one hand, I opened the curtains with the other. And there it was, the absolutely stunning Aegean Sea of Santorini. With the continuous travelling and exploring, I forgot to take out a moment to realise that I was in Greece, the place that I dreamed of going to since I was a kid.
Coming from a middle class family, I could not burden my parents to take me to a place like Greece. However, I was pretty confident that one day I will wear a beautiful white dress, hold a refreshing drink in my hand and witness the most beautiful sunset in the world in Santorini.
Today, here I was, with my loving family, getting ready in an elegant white dress to explore the cobblestone streets of Santorini and then end the day by admiring the most surreal sunset.
While I was busy with these thoughts and admiring the views from the window, my daughter exclaimed, “Maa hurry up! We have to leave.” I simply smiled and nodded, understanding her excitement to go out.
Fulfilling my dream, Santorini Style!
So our day started by having a delicious breakfast in an open-air cafe. We dressed up in white as it blended perfectly with the scenic background and the pictures turned out amazing.
After a hearty breakfast, we decided it would be best to walk around a little. So we wandered through the narrow streets, stopping at several boutiques and souvenir shops. I even purchased some stunning aquamarine jewellery pieces, which were a speciality of Greece, as said by the lady shopkeeper.
Next we did a little city tour, exploring the different attractions of Santorini like the Akrotiri Archaeological Site and Emporio Village. After this, we had a little debate whether we should go to Red Beach or the islands of Nea Kameni. Since we had to reach Oia Village before the sunset, we could only visit any one of these two places.
Well, how can one actually decide between these two gorgeous spots?
To make it easier, we decided to flip a coin, a very common tradition in our family to finalise a decision. So, in the middle of the street, we flipped a coin and a cruise tour to the volcanic islands of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni won!
Laughing at the way we came to the conclusion, we boarded the cruise towards the islands.
And, oh! What a lovely ride it was.
Cool breezes blowing through your hair, talking to the locals on board and soaking the mind-blowing views around you- “A feeling that cannot be described!”
We took a full tour of Nea Kameni island where the guide enriched us with fascinating facts about the place. We also made a short stop to its adjacent island, Palea Kameni. Both of these islands are known for their volcanoes, hot springs and scenic hikes. Unfortunately, we did not have much time to do or explore any more of it.
The ULTIMATE magical moment!
We went back to Santorini, after which we took a cab to the much awaited destination, the Oia Village. As soon as we reached the village, we rushed towards the Oia Castle, the best spot in all of Greece to witness the sunset.
And my goodness, was it so crowded! I realised that it wasn’t just me, a lot of people were going crazy over this sunset.
Feeling relaxed that I reached the spot on time, I sat down in a corner, waiting for the magical moment. I slowly watched the sun go down and the sky change its colours. And then I witnessed something magical happening, right in front of my eyes. Indeed, it was the most gorgeous sunset one can ever see. I remained silent, only with a little smile on my face and a sense of achievement in my heart.
I was definitely on the seventh cloud after fulfilling my dream. It was perfect and the sunset was even more breathtaking than I had imagined.
When I was a little kid, I had no idea if I would ever be able to go to Greece or not. Today, the best part was that I was capable of bringing my family with me as well. We witnessed this epic moment together and I made a promise to myself that no matter how hard I have to work, I will always be there to fulfil my daughter’s wishes.
But did I only visit Santorini?
Of course not! It was a 12 days and 11 nights trip which also included Turkey and other stunning places of Greece.
We spent around 6 days in Turkey. Being a foodie, the highlight of my trip to Turkey was the delicious food there. Oh, we ate so much that I cannot even start.
Let me just be specific about the food items that were ‘the Best’ and I would suggest everyone should have that- Pide (Turkish Patty), Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza) and Baklava (a sweet cake).
Some other highlights of our Turkey visit included- Hot Air Balloon ride in Cappadocia, antique shopping at Grand Bazaar and a sunset cruise on Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul. Not to forget, we also explored a few historical landmarks in Istanbul like Constantinople, Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia.
Before Santorini, we had also explored Mykonos in Greece. Another absolutely gorgeous destination, worth every hype. There we visited many places like Paradise Beach, Elia Beach, Paraportiani Church and Delos Island.
My daughter even tried snorkelling in Mykonos and I chose to stand near the shore and let her enjoy it. When she came back, she said one thing, “Maa, it is so so beautiful underwater, you should have come too!”
Reminiscing my beautiful trip
It has been quite some time since I have returned from my trip but all I could think about is that magical sunset in Oia Village. The feeling that you get after fulfilling a childhood dream of yours is incomparable. It was also possible because of the all-inclusive package that I booked from Thrillophilia that everything was carried out smoothly.
The only feeling I am left with right now is that 12 days were not enough to explore a place like Greece. Most probably, I will be going to my dream place again, for a longer duration this time.
Read More: Thrillophilia Turkey Reviews